Complacent
by Apathetic Rhapsody
Summary: For the Turks, it's the end of another long road. Tseng and Elena barely escaped from the Northern Crater with their lives, but Tseng now has something else he has to do. ElenaxTseng. AC Spoilers.
1. The beginning

Complacent  
By Compulsive Rookie 

Hey guys! This is just a post FF7:AC fic, my first I might add. But that doesn't mean go easy on me! XD Enjoy!  
Advent Children spoilers ahead.

* * *

The net from her gun whizzed out as soon as she pulled the trigger, his too, forming a criss cross of netting that cushioned their bosses' fall. He bounced a few times, before lying on his back, smirking. 

They'd done it.

As soon as the net gun was fired, Elena had a strange feeling... a feeling of hope.  
Tseng was on the other side of the gap, a net gun clasped in his firm grip too, and he nodded to her.

Now was not the time to lose her head; there was still things that needed to be done.

Reno and Rude had seen Rufus fall safely into the nets Elena and Tseng had set up, and the red head was climbing up the wall at a rather speedy pace.  
Rude, however, was forced to go and find a ladder, as his bulky weight and build made it difficult for him to climb up as nimbly as his partner in crime.

If they weren't in such a difficult situation, Elena was sure she would have laughed.

She was so relieved to see everyone was alive - even Reno, who usually grated on her nerves every five minutes.  
Sh'd believed that she and Tseng were goners when the silver haired men ambushed them at the Northern Crater, but now it appeared everything would work out better than she'd imagined.

Well, despite the miles of bandaging wound tightly around her stomach and the dull, aching pain, anyway.

Reno reached their boss first, giving him a helping hand over to Tseng's side of the gap between the buildings. Rude had sucessfully found a ladder, and was climbing up to the top of the large building from where Rufus fell, to try and retrieve his wheelchair.

It was only a matter of time before all four Turks had secured their boss, and were back on solid ground, facing their boss who was now re-clad in the white sheet, and back in his wheelchair.

"It seems you managed to survive, after all."

The president's first words to the two Turks he had thought he'd lost almost made them lose their stoic composure.  
Everyone had been sure they'd died, but then again, everyone thought Tseng had died once before and were proven wrong.

"We're Turks, sir." Elena replied, trying to keep her voice steady. Those three words usually described a manner of situations to the president.

"Yes. But I didn't expect to get your _bloodstained_ IDs back from a cocky bastard." Rufus replied softly.

Tseng felt a pang of guilt - trying to save Elena had resulted in the President having two less Turks to look out for him.  
"I'm sorry sir, but I couldn't let Elena die." he replied, his head bowing slightly.

Rufus smirked. "Of course you couldn't. It isn't in your nature to leave a fellow comrade behind, Tseng."

But Tseng knew what the meaning behind those words really was.  
He cared for Elena too much.

Reno and Rude often teased him about Aeris, but the thing was, he had never really thought of the Ancient as much more than a friend.

And after kidnapping her from the Slums, their friendship pretty much died.  
Of course, later on he was presumed dead and she was slaughtered at the hands of Sephiroth.

Life sure did suck sometimes.

A light rain started to fall on the streets, and Reno looked around amazed.  
It seemed to almost have some sort of healing quality... lifestream?  
But... how could that be possible?

"Boss!" he exclaimed as a green light surrounded Rufus' Geostigma, healing the effected areas almost immediately.  
The Turks watched on, eyes wide, as all traces of Geostigma left Rufus' hand.

They held their breath, waiting for a word from their boss that they weren't just seeing things.  
"Am I the only one seeing that?" the red head exclaimed loudly, and to their surprise, Rufus stood, the blanket falling from around his face.

"It appears not, Reno." he said with his usual, trademark smirk.  
"Spikey-ass did it!" Reno laughed, grabbing Elena's hands and dancing round with her gleefully, the rain sitting in droplets on the lenses of his goggles.

Even though Cloud was their enemy, if not former one, Elena reminded herself to thank him next time she saw him.  
She swore even Rude seemed to be smiling.

"We're gonna rebuild Shinra!" Reno cheered gleefully, and regardless of what had happened in the past few days, all the Turks seemed to find his mood contagious.

"You all have the rest of the day and tomorrow off, then meet at the old Shinra headquarters so we can figure out what to do next. You didn't really think I've spent two years doing nothing, did you?" Rufus smirked.

"We've GOT to go out drinking for old times sake." Reno exclaimed, and the other three Turks mock groaned.  
"Aw come on! You know you love booooooze!" Reno sang, dancing around with Elena some more.

"Why not? It's a rather important celebration, after all." Tseng replied.  
Elena looked at him curiously, and he managed a small smile.

"The celebration that we're still alive... there's no more Geostigma, and we're rebuilding Shinra. I think that's beer worthy."

"Why don't you come along, sir?" Rude asked their boss, but Rufus just shook his head and laughed.  
"Me? Go to a bar? No one likes me, I'd be kicked out. Go, before I change my mind."

It wasn't often that Tseng went out with his Turks to bars, because usually Reno would get in some sort of fight and be dragged kicking and screaming out by his peers.

But he wanted to go. It was a celebration of beng alive, after all.  
He had a job to do. And it involved the one that he nearly died beside...


	2. Not a rookie anymore

Complacent  
Chapter 2  
By Compulsive Rookie 

Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter.

* * *

The strong smell of alcohol and hot food hit Tseng's nose as he entered the 7th Heaven bar, his fellow Turks following close behind him. 

Usually Reno would complain that this was "their enemies' bar", but since Vincent had saved his life, Tseng wouldn't have it.

Reno was just itching to get his hands on the booze and the chicks, and seems he always returned nearly immediately with some sort of rejection every time, Tseng let him go as soon as he got in the door.

"He'll be back soon." Rude smirked, taking a seat at the nearest table.  
Next to him, Reno would sit on his return, so Tseng and Elena had not much more of a choice than to share the other side.

Elena's cheeks flushed pink at the discovery, but took her seat without so much as a glance in Tseng's direction.  
"The Turks, in my bar? I never would have thought it." Tifa smiled, flipping out a little notebook and pen.  
"Do you wanna order something now, or wait for Reno to get rejected?"

A small smile found it's way onto Tseng's lips. "I'm sure we can order without him, as long as he has alcohol he's happy."

"And chicks." Elena muttered under her breath, cracking a smile from their old enemy.  
"So, what'll it be?"

Shortly after they had ordered, Reno stumbled over and slumped in his seat next to Rude, huge red slap marks across both cheeks.  
Elena smiled. "Rejected again, Reno?"

He just grumbled. "You'd think after trying to save this town from those silver haired gits, they'd like me a little bit more."  
Rude tried not to laugh. Their red headed companion would _always _be bad with women, no matter _what_ he did.

Tifa soon brought over the food and drinks, and immediately Reno dug into his share.  
Tseng just shook his head, compulsively taking a sip of his beer. It wasn't half bad, considering he hardly ever had beer.

"Heeey, is there a dancefloor here?" Reno slurred in Tifa's general direction, the revelation that he was drunk as hell already slowly registering in his fellow Turks' minds.  
"Of course there is." she replied sarcastically. "Shall I put on some music for you?"

"WHOO HOO! Come on Rude, let's go dance or somethin'."  
Rude was very put off at the idea, but soon found himself being dragged to dance with the intoxicated red head.  
"Uh, Reno, there is no dancefloor..." he feebly tried to explain, but his words of 'wisdom' went in one ear and out the other.

Elena started laughing at Rude being pulled around the "dancefloor" by a very drunk Reno, and even Tseng was amused.  
"I haven't danced in years..." Elena mused to herself, but she must have said it out loud.  
"You haven't? Me neither, and that's probably a good thing."

She considered asking him to dance, but there was two things she was afraid of:  
Rejection, and the fact that four Turks dancing on a non existant dancefloor would look VERY dodgy.  
Not to mention bad for their reputation.

Miraculously, the people in the bar paid no attention whatsoever.  
"It's getting late... I'd better get going." Elena said after a few hours, wriggling out of her seat and retriving her jacket.

Tseng nodded, about to say goodbye to her, when he blurted "Would you like me to walk you home?"

Elena blushed, and nodded. "Sure, I'd like the company."  
Tseng wondered what he'd gotten himself into as he walked out after Elena, leaving some gil on the table to cover their bill.

Tifa, seeing them leave, rushed over to Rude and Reno.  
"They're gone, you can stop acting like idiots now."

"Did they go together?" a completely sober Reno asked.  
Tifa nodded, a small grin on her face. "Yyyyep."  
"OH YEAH! We did it Rude! Whoo! Drinks on me!" Reno grinned, and Tifa just shook her head.

0o0o0

There was still a small amount of rain when Tseng and Elena stepped outside... the perfect cover for criminal activity.  
Even though Midgar HAD cleaned up somewhat, that didn't stop idiots that thought they were badass from breaking into peoples' houses.

Elena warily had her hand on the gun concealed in a holster on her left hip, just in case, but Tseng was a little more relaxed.

"Lighten up Elena." he half smiled, noting her rigid posture. She blushed again, her hand letting go of the gun to dangle freely at her side.

"I had a talk to the president earlier." Tseng continued, looking briefly at her.  
"After my report on what happened at the Northern Crater, he wanted me to congratulate you."

Her head snapped up. "Why?"

"Because you're proved yourself to him... and me...with the whole silver haired men fiasco... and now, he wants you to take the step to become a fully fledged Turk."

Elena stopped dead, the initial shock kicking in.  
A fully fledged Turk? There would be no more catty remarks from Reno and Rude once she had the tiny tattoo that would show everyone that she was a Turk.  
Even them.

Tseng stopped too, waiting for her to recover from the shock.  
"No more rookie jokes, hmm?" he questioned, biting back a laugh.

"Yeah... I'm not a rookie anymore." she smiled weakly.

Reno smiled as he watched from a distance, his lips forming the words;  
"I'm proud of ya 'Laney."

And his smile turned into a grin as Tseng kissed Elena's hand as a goodnight gesture.

"Rude... do you copy? We have progress on Operation T plus E. Over."  
He swore he could hear Rude laughing on the other end. "It's not any sort of "operation", you idiot. We're not even involved! I said I wasn't going to mess with them, and you promised you wouldn't either."

"Whatever, _boss_. I just wanna see 'Laney and Mr 'Strict and Formal' happy."  
Rude laughed this time. "You and your imagination, Reno."

_You and your imagination..._


End file.
